Mathieu Déziel was born and raised in Shawinigan and studied tourism management. While working in the tourism industry, he realized he loved marketing and communications. He left his company and found a job at United Way, where he became Marketing Director. Mathieu thrived in marketing and grew eager to expand his knowledge and skillset. So he took a new job at the Leucan organization when an opportunity to manage a large territory opened. Unfortunately, after he started his new position, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the organization to restructure, and Mathieu lost his job.
Undeterred, Mathieu returned to University to focus on Digital Marketing and prepare for the next chapter in his career. Even though he valued his experience at the two influential organizations, he wanted to work outside the non-profit work and devote his philanthropic efforts to his daughter’s school. Unfortunately, transitioning from a charitable organization to a for-profit company can be challenging. “It is hard to get out of the industry after being tagged as a philanthropist,” says Mathieu. However, his solid reputation and the relationships he established at his previous places of employment shaped a path to future opportunities.
One valuable relationship Mathieu created while working at United Way was with Défis RH founder Jessie Fortin. She worked at Randstad and supported United Way with recruiting services when Mathieu was the Marketing Director. The two kept in touch for a decade, and when Mathieu lost his job at Leucan, it was perfect timing for Jessie and her team to help him find a new career path. However, Mathieu and Jessie did not connect until he shared his story.
Shortly after losing his job at Leucan, another foundation contacted Mathieu about a new position. Unfortunately, after a lengthy interview process, he discovered they had hired someone else. The organization put him through the process only to meet specific procedural criteria. Mathieu’s frustration motivated him to post his story on LinkedIn to help others avoid a similarly frustrating experience and let companies know he was available and eager to work. In the end, over 8,000 people read his post. Jessie was one of those people, so she called Mathieu and asked how she could help him.
Jessie’s human approach was refreshing for Mathieu. He had worked with headhunters in the past that were cold and did not take the time to listen genuinely or prioritize his needs. Jessie asked him if she could post his profile on LinkedIn, and he agreed, not expecting much to happen. To his surprise, Jessie called him soon after making the post to inform him that ACCEO Solutions was interested in a meeting. Jessie scheduled the interview, and Mathieu thoroughly enjoyed the process and the people he met from the company. A few days later, Mathieu received an official employment offer.
Mathieu’s experience with Défis RH has made him realize that the company’s approach to recruiting is unique. “Jessie sees the true potential in people, and when she said she would help me, she did help,” says Mathieu. A few months after Mathieu started his job at ACCEO, Jessie called him and asked, “Are you happy?” The call made him realize that Jessie genuinely cares. “It is a part of who she is. You just know she is happy and wants you to be, too, ” says Mathieu. He does not know if he will ever need Jessie and Défis RH’s help because he sees a bright future with ACCEO. However, Mathieu says, “I will definitely recommend her to others and call her for employees I need.”
Please contact us if you or someone you know needs help making a career change like Mathieu.
